This application claims the priority of German Application No. 103 57 370.4-21 filed Dec. 9, 2003, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a hinged vehicle body part, such as a lid, a flap, a hood or the like for a motor vehicle. Certain preferred embodiments of the invention relate to a hinged vehicle body part which is inserted into an opening of the vehicle body and is circumferentially surrounded by stationary vehicle body parts, hinges being provided for the linking of the hinged body part, which hinges are connected on one side with the hinged vehicle body part and are connected on another side with an adjoining stationary vehicle body part.
Hinged vehicle body parts on motor vehicles are manually adjusted during the production. In the known arrangement, the mounting in the body shell takes place by a repeated opening and closing of the hinged vehicle body part, with releasing and tightening of the fastening screws until the optimal joint measurements have been reached circumferentially. The hinged component has to be manually aligned between the two opposite side parts in the Y-direction and additionally in the X-direction. The fixing of the hinged vehicle body part takes place in the opened condition of the hinged component. Depending on the mechanic's skill, a repeated correcting of the position of the hinged component is necessary during the mounting, which results in high, time-intensive mounting expenditures.
It is an object of the invention to take such measures on a hinged component that the mounting expenditures are clearly reduced and that, already in its closed state, the hinged component can be adjusted in the correct position with respect to the adjoining body structure and can be fixed in the adjusted position.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, this object is achieved by providing a hinged vehicle body part, such as a lid, a flap, a hood, or the like, for a motor vehicle, which is inserted into an opening of the vehicle body and is circumferentially surrounded by stationary vehicle body parts, hinges being provided for the linking of the hinged body part, which hinges are connected on one side with the hinged vehicle body part and are connected on another side with an adjoining stationary vehicle body part, wherein at least one fastening point of each hinge assigned to the stationary vehicle body part is arranged outside a contour of the hinged vehicle body part, and wherein the adjoining stationary vehicle body part is formed by an interior part and a releasably fastenable exterior part constructed as an assembly part, the exterior part covering respective fastening points of the hinged vehicle body part which are situated outside of the contour of the hinged vehicle body part.
Important advantages achieved by means of the invention are that, as a result of the fastening points for the hinged vehicle body part which are situated outside the contour of the hinged vehicle body part, only a one-time adjusting and fastening of the hinged body part is required, whereby the mounting expenditures are clearly reduced and a visually attractive course of the joints can always be achieved. Already in its closed position, the hinged vehicle body part can be adjusted and fixed from the exterior side. The fastening points of the hinge situated outside the hinged vehicle body part are covered by an assembly part which forms an exterior part of the adjoining stationary vehicle body part, in which case the exterior part can be releasably fastened to an interior part situated below it. According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the assembly part is fastened by means of push-in connections, screwed connections or the like to the stationary interior part of the vehicle body part. This construction principle can be used in the rearward area as well as in the forward area of a motor vehicle.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.